The Legend of Zelda: The Infinity Mechanism
by Raikou
Summary: It began with a quest, a young hero's journey to save a land from darkness. THe legacy is carried on for generations...The legend will live on into the future.Take a look at the genre, fanboys please read the introduction before you start the story.
1. Chapter 1: On Any Other Day

**Okay you've probably already figured this out and consequently most of the hardcore fans have stopped reading. The Infinity Mechanism takes place approximately a thousand years after the floodwaters that created the Great Sea Hyrule recede this is the Hyrule of Link's Awakening and other old-school titles BUT with one major twist...Hylian technology has advanced exactly as far as you would expect a civilization to advance in a thousand years. Vehicles fly, drive and crawl around the roads and skies of New Hyrule. Hyrule City has become a center of art and culture that has sprung up around North Palace. The Sheikah who were all but extinct when the floods receded have increased their numbers and finally cemented with Hylian society and still serve as the secret service of the royal family. The Gorons have returned to Death Mountain and their ancient city which is now an enormous mining complex that exports the steel, crystal, and a highly unstable element known as ettrium used in modern Hylian technology.**

**ALL my friends whined and whined about this particular project. _Raikou, you're killing Zelda; Raikou, you can't do this; blah, blah, blah, blah, blah..._ The thing is, no one seemed to mind as technology in Hyrule became more and more advanced you can't tell me you can invent stemboats, cannons, trains, the 'lazers' in the beamos statues without it leading to freight ships, bullet trains, handguns and sophisticated computers. It was happening, it was inevitable and now enjoy the culmination of mellenia of advaces in Hylian technology. Enjoy The Legend of Zelda: The Infinity Mechanism.**

_**P.S. I'm putting artwork for this story and some of my other stories on a website that's currently still under construction. When it's done i'll post the link on here.**_

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The Legend of Zelda: The Infinity Mechanism

Hyrule city, glass towers reaching for the sun where the affluent and the artists and the politicians thrived. Link could see it from his house on the outskirts of the Faron province where he lived with his uncle.

"Link, quit your daydreaming!" His uncle grunted, tightening a bolt on the bike he'd been fixing for the son of a successful merchant who lived in the city. "That should do it, give her a nice shine and you can drive her into the city."

"What!?" Link asked. His uncle had never asked him to drive anything they had ever worked on anywhere, much less the very expensive bike of a very rich man's son.

"You heard me, kid. Just make sure you shine her up nice." He tossed the keys on the workbench.

"Yessir. I will." He promised, already rubbing the polish on the dull steel. He soon had it shining like quicksilver and he hurriedly changed out of his jumpsuit and into his day clothes.

Link grabbed the silver ignition cylinder and slid it into the starter, the engine hummed vibrantly and it glided out of the garage and shot off down the road. The bike was a much smoother ride than his own which he and his uncle built out of spare parts and much faster. He sped along whipping past land cruisers and other larger vehicles with ease relishing the feel of the wind in his hair. Though he was sorry to see the bike go he got to the man's house as quickly as possible, if he wrapped things up here quickly he'd have almost two hours to himself in the city. He was just beginning to contemplate all the things he would spend his money on when he saw an extremely luxurious Vista land yacht broken down on the side of the road. It intrigued him and he slowed to a stop. The long boat-shaped vehicle usually floated comfortably on a magnetic field but this one sat obstinately on the grass while a man in posh robes stood scratching his head as though if he dug into his brain he could find the answer too his predicament. "What's the trouble?" he asked politely once he had negotiated the bike out of the thoroughfare.

"Damned if I know!" the man fumed, "It's the work of some malicious spirit or the culmination of a particularly rotten streak of luck on my part. Say, you wouldn't have any experience in this sort of thing would you?"

Link sighed and looked at the city still faint in the distance. "I'll see what I can do." He plugged his dataport into the starter and ran a diagnostic program, which returned very little results other than that the problem was generally on the inaccessible underside of the vehicle. He had an idea and switched off all the systems that would normally start up if the vehicle powered up and refined it down to the magnetic field generator. He opened up the newly repaired bike and unplugged the power cell and plugged it directly into the land yacht's circuitry. The bike used a large powerful cell but the large Vista would run it dry in a minute so as soon as he started it he dropped the parking gear and disconnected the fuel cell.

"Is this going to take very long?" it wasn't the voice of the old man, it was a young woman about his age maybe a year younger very slender and very beautiful as far as he could tell because her face was partially obscured by a gaussian veil. She was very clearly nobility and he wasn't exactly sure how to treat her.

"Umm…" he began, wondering just how important her family was and if he could get in trouble for giving the wrong answer.

"Your highness, please wait in the cabin." The old man came bustling over. _Highness!? _Link thought frantically, _He said highness, shit what am I supposed to do?_

"What can I do to help?" she asked matter-of-factly.

Link stared blankly, looking to the old man for help. "Perhaps we should let this young man handle it, Princess, he seems to know what he's about."

Link nearly passed out there, _Princess! _The_ princess!? He should have stayed home, let his uncle take the bike in the trailer when the cruiser was repaired. He _really_ didn't want this right now. _"Tartus, I'm _going_ to help, you can sit in the cabin if you prefer." There was a challenge in her voice, as if she dared him to tell her no.

"A-as you wish." He conceded.

She smiled and lifted her veil, he'd been right she was _very_ beautiful, "I'm Zelda." She introduced extending her hand.

Not knowing what else to do he gripped it in his grease-smeared hand, "Link." She neither grimaced nor withdrew her hand, instead she gripped back and beamed broadly and he decided right then he liked her, no matter that she was royalty.

They lay side by side beneath the Vista and she looked slightly nervous underneath the massive steel chassis. "Umm, these things are stable right?"

"Sure, the Vista is lighter than it looks, despite all the steel…" He reassured her loosening the bolts that secured a maintenance panel to the bottom of the chassis, "The parking gear on the vista could hold up a house…well, maybe not your house." He amended. She laughed and accepted the wrench he handed her. He reached in and felt around finding the problem immediately, a gear had come loose and the bolt that had secured it had rusted through. Luckily it was the same size as the ones he had pulled off the panel, the only problem was the bolts on the outside weren't made out of strong high carbon steel and wouldn't be a permanent fix. He secured it on anyway and reconnected the wires that had come loose.

Tartus was waiting when they emerged from underneath the craft and it looked as though he'd been worrying himself to pieces about the well being of the princess. "Umm…are you driving?" he asked the old man when he'd finished wiping a smudge of grease from the princess's cheek.

"No." he replied shortly as though it had been Link's fault the princess of the realm had been toiling with a mechanic under the chassis of a Vista land yacht.

"Well, tell the driver to go south by this road until you come to Jerralt's Garage, big sign you can't miss it. Tell him Link sent you and he should fix it right up for you."

"I thought you fixed it." The man said condescendingly enough that his ears reddened.

"I did what I could but your going to need a new restraining bolt on the maglift gear."

"I suppose you'll be wanting compensation?" the man sighed.

"Don't worry about it, you can pay my uncle." He reconnected the fuel cell to the bike; there was still just enough power to make it to the man's house before nightfall.

"Thank you for your assistance, I shall remember your face." The princess said smiling coyly before disappearing into the cabin of the land yacht.

He didn't have time to dwell on princesses though he would be lucky to get to the man's house before dusk now and since he had occupied his uncle for the night he would have to catch the train back to the garage.

Link arrived home later that night tired from his walk from the station only to find the Vista still parked in front of the shop, he groaned and tried to slip around back where his uncle waited to flick him on the forehead with one of his sausage-sized fingers. "What'd you mean sending those blue bloods over hear? I'm not a baby sitter, Link." He grouched in a low voice as though the princess and the old man Tartus were listening in.

"I didn't know who they were before I pulled over." He retorted equally grumpy from the long ride back. He began to climb up onto the low roof of the garage to sneak in his window but his uncle caught the back of his shirt and tugged him down.

"If you think your going to sneak off to your room and leave me down here to butler these city-folk you've got another think coming." Link could only grumble as he was forced inside his own home.

The princess sat primly on the edge of their sofa watching the holonet feed flash across the screen and he was surprised to see she still had her veil removed. The King was in a palace in the desert speaking with the Gerudo King Khali Adurna, she wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Father is always so condescending when he speaks to Adurna; he's going to get himself in trouble one day." Link shuffled his feet uncomfortably, when he'd been working on the magnetic generator he'd been focused on his work and had nearly forgot the person working beside him was royalty but seeing her in his den surrounded by her attendants and closely watched through amber eyeshields by two sheikah bodyguards it was all too clear that they came from two separate worlds and he wished more than ever he could sneak off to his room. "Link." I was wondering if you were returning from your trip, I hope we didn't inconvenience you overmuch."

He shook his head, "No, your highness, just returning a man's bike."

She patted the seat next to her motioning for him to sit; he eyed the two sheikah warily. "Oh, don't mind them; that's Kato and this is Kuzo." she introduced the one nearest him and her respectively, the men inclined their heads respectfully and the one nearest him even extended his hand which he took. "You already know Tartus, of course and this is Farrah." she introduced a shy looking girl standing behind sat on the sofa feeling about as out of his depth as he thought any person could. Luckily it wasn't long before the princess began to yawn and he was more than happy to sacrifice his bed for a chance to get some sleep and a chance to process the day's events.


	2. Chapter 2: Someone To Talk To

Chapter Two: Someone to Talk To

For one shining moment when he awoke he thought that the entire of yesterday's events had been a dream, or else a figment of his imagination. But he looked to the door in hopes to sneak off to Jaq's house before his uncle woke and saw Kato leaning against the door, needless to say he would probably not be sneaking off anywhere. "I don't suppose you want breakfast?" The sheikah inclined his head affirmatively. "Don't suppose you know how to fix it yourself?" the man shook his head and, though his facial features were covered Link could've sworn he was smiling, bastard. He rolled off the couch and cracked three eggs into a skillet heated over a gas flame. Then, remembering they had quite a few guests, cracked a half dozen more. With the eggs heating slowly he opened a sealed bag of sausages and dumped the lot into another larger pan.

The sheikah came up behind him and inhaled the aroma of the sizzling sausage, "Link, you don't have to cook on our account." It was Zelda, she had opted to dress in common clothes and she looked like a completely different person.

"Have to cook breakfast anyway, no trouble throwing in a few more eggs." He grunted.

"Well, thank you anyway." She said sitting down on the sofa.

Link dumped the eggs and sausages on a plate and headed out to the garage where he planned to spend the day working on his bike.

"Good morning, master Link." The computer interface on the bike greeted as soon as he powered it up.

"Morning, Epona; run diagnostic subset 1-13." There was a pause as the computer complied.

"Power cell level is at seventy two per cent, engine running at optimum efficiency."

"Optimum, eh, whaddya say we improve on that?" he pulled on his jumpsuit and began stripping the framing off and exposing the interior mechanisms of the bike.

"Please take care around my circuits the last time you disconnected my voice module it took you approximately thirty-four point seven hours to make full repairs."

Link laughed, "But I did make full repairs, don't worry so much we're going to do a total rebuild, isolate all systems nonessential to computer interface function."

"Yes, master Link." The fiber optic circuits around the engine stopped glowing and he disconnected them from the mechanical parts removing the parts carefully and placing them in meticulous order on the floor of the garage.

"Epona, how about that new engine I promised you, I think I have enough after that guy's bike yesterday." The bike gave an annoyed whirr at the mention of the other vehicle.

"Master Link, may I point out that you have no means of transportation with my current engine removed."

"Yes, you don't have to state the obvious, I'll reconnect everything we need, should be faster just from the reduced weight."

"Who are you talking to in here?" it was Zelda poking her head through the door.

"Epona." Link answered shortly.

"Good morning." The cool female computer voice greeted impersonally.

"Epona, voice recognition protocol 01-252, I.D. Princess."

"What did you just tell it to do?" she asked suspiciously.

"Good morning, Princess." The computer greeted again.

She seemed unimpressed but then again she had probably seen much more impressive things, "I'm going with you today."

"Going where?" he asked, puzzled.

"Wherever you're going, you helped us now I'm going to return the favor." She seemed determined but spending the day babysitting a Princess wasn't his idea of a good day, then again it didn't sound like it was his choice either.

"I don't know, your highness, won't you be in danger or something?" he asked trying to search for his way out.

"Of course not, I'm in disguise." Even though he knew it was a bad idea he let out a snort of laughter, "What?" she snapped her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Well, it's just…well, no offense your highness but no one would mistake you for an everyday citizen."

"And why shouldn't they?"

"Well, I mean, it's not fashionable to wear your hair long outside of nobility for one thing and, you know, you just don't _act _like a suburban."

"I see." she said dangerously, "Well, I suppose you know best after all." The door snapped shut

Link sighed and scratched the back of his head worriedly, he didn't want to offend the princess but he didn't want to spend too much time around her either. He returned to the bike and called up Jaq on his datalink, he sauntered into the screen's view kicking engine parts out of the way. "Hey there grease monkey." Jaq greeted tapping the screen because he knew the interference it produced annoyed him.

"Don't you, 'hey grease monkey, me, Jaq; word on the street is you've been holding out on me."

"Hey, I'm only lookin' out for you, man. I think I finally got an engine that's too much for you to handle."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"You comin' over?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, don't expect fresh baked treats or anything."

Link terminated their connection and finished tightening the last necessary bolt on the engine. He started bolting the body back on, it was a bike built out of scrap parts but you'd never know it by looking at it. He and his uncle had salvaged the frame from a totaled racer and mounted a custom engine on it. The body was salvaged from various parts, most of which came from Jaq's shop and had taken the paint off till all that was left was the dull bronze alloy that made up nearly all vehicle's bodies. Epona was a quirky little computer they had removed from a sedan cruiser at the request of the owner it had taken some work but they had stripped the mainframe and rebooted all of it's functions so that it functioned more or less normally though now that he had put so much time into it he would never want it to perform normally he had grown used to the quirks of the little machine and enjoyed the fact that he was the only one that could operate the machine successfully.

Now fully cleaned and gleaming he pulled the bike up to the front of the house. "Hey Jerralt I'm going to Jaq's to look at a new engine" he shouted at the front of the house. The front door opened but it wasn't Jerralt, it was Zelda her hair now cut short so that it was almost like his. "Princess?"

"Who else would it be? Unless you keep other girls tucked around your house." She replied haughtily

"What are you doing?" he asked, horrified.

"I told you already, I'm going to help you today; as you so truthfully observed I would've never passed as a suburban with my hair long." She situated herself behind him in the seat forcing him to sit uncomfortably close to the handlebars; the bike wasn't really made for two people.

"Your going to get me in trouble with that old crow of yours." He muttered.

"I wouldn't worry about Tartus, he had to return to the palace to attend to a matter of his own. Now, are we going somewhere or not?"

He handed his helmet to her and fastened his own eyeshields over his eyes. "You may want to hold on." He advised as he started the engine and shot off down the street.

The princess was visibly shaken by the ride but she didn't complain as they pulled up to Jaq's auto parts store. "You can wait here if you like, this should just take a minute." He said hoping she would.

He had no such luck, "I'll be fine inside." She replied obstinately, brushing past him and opening the door.

"What's up, coz?" Jaq greeted when he saw his friend enter.

"Hey, you got it ready?"

"Course I do, whaddya take me for?" he led them to the back and whipped the dust cover off of the engine dramatically, "May I present, the Red Line NG-900 Mk. II." He announced.

"The what?" Zelda asked, utterly nonplussed.

Link approached the dais that held it in place reverently, "Jaq, how in Din's name did you come by this?"

"Link, you know I'm not at liberty to reveal my sources. Do you want it or not?"

"How much?" he asked dubiously.

"Well market price is two hundred thou' but for you I'll go as low as one fifty." He said beneficently.

Link frowned, "Don't jerk me around, Jaq, I know good and well you would've been stupid to buy that for anything less than seventy thousand rupees."

"Alright, alright, you know if you weren't my friend… a hundred thousand and that includes magnetic suspension treads which your gonna want unless you like scraping your suspension off the road."

"Ninety-five thousand." Link countered.

"Done, you're gonna need the rest for your hospital bill anyway." They shook on it and Link transferred the amount to Jaq's account and his friend helped him mount it on the frame.

"Hey, who's the chick?" Jaq asked once they were working on the bike and she was out of earshot.

"Oh, nobody, just a friend." He lied.

"Alright, I get it, forget I asked…you dog." Link ignored him and finished testing the circuits to the new wheels, they flared to life and the bike raised up the tire now held in place, not with spokes, but with an invisible field of magnetic energy much like the bike he'd delivered to the rich merchant's son however with the new engine Epona would definitely be faster. "Looks like your all set."

"Thanks, coz." Link bumped his fist against Jaq's

"No problem; hey, Link…" he looked uncharacteristically sincere for a moment.

"Yeah?" Link asked concernedly.

" Ah it's nothin', enjoy your ride."

"Thanks I will." He helped the princess onto the back and sped off down the road relishing the feel of the new, more powerful engine beneath him.


	3. Chapter 3: Behind My Camel

Behind My Camel

Link was never happier to see his couch; the princess had insisted on once again helping him make repairs on the Vista. The princess was pleasant enough but just being around her was stressful and being around her all day was exhausting, he didn't fancy what was in store for him when Tartus or even the King found out she'd cut her hair.

"There are no stars tonight." It was Kato.

"So?" He rolled over and tried to ignore the man without having to use his only pillow to cover his ears.

"To our ancestors that would've been a bad omen; I often wonder if our technology has stolen away something important we once had."

"I wouldn't know." He said trying to sound as annoyed as possible. The Sheikah must've taken the hint because he said nothing else and Link slowly drifted off to sleep.

It was early in the morning when Link was roused by a clicking sound that was Kato chambering a round into his pistol. He motioned for him to get to cover, Link went into the garage and unlocked the drawer on the workbench where his uncle kept an old pistol from his days in the Hyrule United Militia. He headed back into the room just as an explosion wracked the old house's frame. The blast hit him first, a wave of hot air compressed by the sudden blast knocked him off his feet then the sound like a train running through a tornado deafened him Kato was struck by the door as men flooded into the house. Because of the ringing in his ears Link didn't notice they were firing until the door that had kept him from view was shredded to splinters by the invaders' automatic weapons. Link locked eyes with one of the men and his finger instinctively squeezed the trigger, the man flipped over the sofa spraying the view screen's viewing panel with gore. Link continued to fire haphazardly into the men until a hail of gunfire forced him to take cover behind the wall.

Kuzo provided relief, leaping into the mass of men and using his sword and pistol with the precision of a seasoned professional. Jerralt came down the stairs and was hit by a stray shot. Link watched his Uncle tumble down the stairs as though it were happening in slow motion and leapt from his cover where a man was about to put a bullet in the back of Kuzo's head. Link was faster and the man collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, another man came from around a corner Link threw his empty gun at the man and charged him, slamming him into the wall; with the man immobilized he drew back his fist and smashed it into the man's face then again and again until the man's face and his knuckles were a bloody mess. Kuzo stopped him putting a hand on his shoulder.

"This is Kuzo Ishikawa to palace security, we have an attack, the princess has been taken, Kato and civilian are down, send backup and medical evac. I'm in pursuit." He said into an earpiece while he checked Link's uncle's pulse, giving him the thumbs up signifying that he was alive.

"Acknowledged Ishikawa-Two medical evac and reinforcements are en route, ETA is twenty minutes." The voice crackled over the link.

"I'm coming too." Link asserted, reloading his pistol.

Kato tossed him his earpiece, "Good luck, kid." He said. Link and Kuzo hopped on Epona and sped off in the direction palace intelligence said the kidnappers had escaped.

"Alright civilian," the voice on his earpiece was barely audible over the thrum of the engine and the rush of the wind, "Here are your rules of engagement. The princess's safety is paramount, if she is in danger you withdraw if you have a clear shot, take it. Shoot to kill and for the gods' sakes aim carefully." Link only half paid attention, his blood was pumping in his ears and adrenaline flowed through his veins like fire. In two days his life had been turned upside down, in a few seconds it had fallen to pieces.

The engine's drone became incessant and he tried to tune it out by tuning the radio to a music feed but he didn't really listen to it either, he was trying to keep his eyes open for any sign of the vehicle that had absconded with his peace of mind and the princess. He stopped on a stretch of road and pointed out tracks that veered sharply off the road and to a smoking wreckage of twisted metal several yards past it.

"Go." Kuzo said grimly

Link revved the engine and pulled out onto the rough, unpaved terrain. The twisted metal was still in flames when they arrived and Link thought despairingly that no one could have possibly survived such a crash. It seemed, however, that Kuzo had other ideas, "This is not as it seems." He whispered to himself kicking over disturbed grass revealing a poorly conceived attempt to cover tracks. "They are heading for the Wastelands, if they reach the border of Gerudo territory it will be beyond my power to pursue them."

"Let's hurry then." Link said hopping back astride Epona and driving off in the direction Kuzo pointed.

The new suspension system handled the rough terrain like the smoothest road, which was helpful as they seemed to be gaining no ground with the terrorists. Kuzo was getting apprehensive which Link took to mean they were nearing the boarder of Hylian territory where all Hylian government soldiers were forbidden to tread for fear of political backlash. Link carefully considered the readouts on Epona's consol, the strain on the frame was manageable and they were in little danger of overheating. He ran a projected diagnostic and engaged stage three of the engine block activating two more of his twelve ettrium cells making eight in total. The bike leapt forward and the speedometer climbed to 120 along with the Engine temperature and frame stress; he ignored it and locked down stage three initiating the priming of stage four. They had almost reached 140 when the large truck came into view. He ran another projected diagnostic and the engine temp blinked red but it wasn't like he had a choice, he engaged stage four and the truck drew nearer rapidly.

"Pull up on their right." Kuzo shouted over the wind whipping past.

Link swerved to the right and the truck moved to block him but they were too slow and Link was already beside them. Men started clambering onto the top of the large vehical aiming rifles at the pair but Kuzo leapt off the bike his sword and pistol out in an instant. He arched over the first man as they tried to train their rifles on him. Kuzo was quicker, the first man toppled over the edge and another trying to climb to the roof of the truck never made it out of the hatch, he landed on the top of the moving vehicle slashing the second man across the chest. The man toppled backwards and fell under the tire causing the truck to swerve and throwing Kuzo off the vehicle. The Sheikah's sword clattered across the top of the truck, Link reacted quickly and caught the blade as it dropped off the top and slashed the rear right tire, the truck swerved momentarily but regained control. Link fell back to where Kuzo was recovering from his fall.

"GO!" the Sheikah yelled, "Do not let them pass the boarder!" Link looked after the truck; it was entering the Tantari salt flats that separated the desert of the Gerudo from the plains of Hyrule. Link revved the engine and shot off after the truck.

Though he tried to regain his speed the truck soon dropped out of site. Link swore to himself and scanned the area for Kuzo's radio frequency.

"Link, the aerial images show the truck stopped at an oasis…" Something in his voice made Link wary. Link throttled the engine more, wringing every last once of power out of the crystallized ettrium cells. He didn't know why he needed to save the princess so badly. The Hylian Government and their nobles had never done anything for him and his uncle. He had never seen his annual taxes reciprocated to the townsfolk. But some deep driving instinct inside him told him that he must, he had to stop this man from reaching the shifting sands of the Gerudo Desert.

"What's the catch?"

"He's waiting for you."

"Damn." Link removed the earpiece and coaxed more torque out of the already overtaxed engine

The princess glared at her captor being unable to talk through the gag, the man had not spoken since he'd abducted her from the mechanic's small house. A frightful idea leapt unbidden to her mind; what if her captor were that mechanic boy. It seemed logical, he had not been subtle about his disdain of her royal family. She silently cursed her own stupidity for allowing herself to be taken in by the lower caste. The boy had seemed so earnest and docile she had let her guard down; it was a stupid, foolish move on her part and she had been repaid for it in kind.

She searched what she could see of her captor's face, looking for some evidence of his identity. There was nothing about it that would immediately distinguish him from any other Hylian. Before she could formulate any kind of plan her abductor's head turned away towards the east where a small dust cloud had appeared on the horizon, it quickly grew larger and nearer until she could plainly distinguish the bronze glint of the alloy; it was the mechanic, Link. Zelda's heart soared at the discovery, that her captor had not been someone she'd trusted. But that joy turned quickly again to fear as the masked man grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her in between him and her would-be rescuer.

Link dismounted Epona as calmly as if he'd just been out for a casual ride. He'd already surveyed the situation and he knew there was nothing he could do without harming the princess, he'd fallen right into their hands and now there was nothing left to do but stand and die fighting.

"You're quite the brave boy driving so far after the princess." the man said calmly, his voice muffled behind his mask.

"You should take that mask off, I'd like to know what your face looks like before I blow a hole in it." He retorted coldly.

The man only chuckled, "I think we both know you won't risk the safety of the princess."

Link pulled his pistol out and leveled it at the man, "We'll see about that."

The man tightened his arm around Zelda's throat lifting her up to better cover himself, "Why risk so much for such a worthless child. You'd be doing your country a service to let me escape with her, she will never be able to rule Hyrule." Link tightened his grip on the gun waiting for the man to slip up or get distracted, "The Royal Family has grown lax and impotent over the years it's fragile chain will finally be broken and the royal line will die with her, and the world will be better for it."

"Why don't you put her down and we'll settle this like men." Link challenged not even bothering to hope that it would work.

The man only laughed, "You may have been a hero in a different era, boy. But in this day and age chivalry only makes dead men."

the man took his gun from Zelda's temple and aimed it at him just as the princess began to thrash about in his grip. She was unable to free herself but her kicking legs exposed the man's kneecap and Link took the shot. The man's gun went off a split second after Link's bullet shattered his knee and the shot that would've killed him only struck Link in the shoulder. The force of the impact spun him around but he remained focused just enough to line up one more shot. This time the man's head jerked back sharply and blood and bits of fractured bone sprayed into the hard caked salt.

Zelda crawled to where Link was struggling to sit in the up as blood leaked out of his shoulder. He reached out and undid her gag, "You alright?" he asked gritting his teeth from the pain in his arm.

Instead of responding she flung her still bound arms around his neck, "Oh, I'm so sorry, for a second I thought he was you- I mean that you were… I must've caused so much trouble, all because I was too _stupid _to return to the palace when Tartus told me too, I'm so sorry." she tried to fit all of her feelings into one sentence as tears soaked into his already blood-damped shirt.

"Ow, you're hurting." Link protested and she withdrew from him apologetically, allowing him to untie her hands before she helped him to his feet.

They both approached the body of the man even as the thundering noise of the Aerocopter landed near them. The down draft created by its rotors kicked up what little dust there was and blew away the man's mask. As the dust settled Zelda gasps in horror; there gazing up at the slowly lightening sky with blank, unseeing eyes was Tartus.


	4. Chapter 4: Can't Stand Losing You

Can't Stand Losing You

Kuzo and a newly recovered Kato stood dutifully outside of princess Zelda's chambers when King Harkinian XI approached. They stood at attention and moved aside to allow the king passage, "How is she?" he asked, genuinely concerned. They both averted their gaze as if to say _'not well.' _ The Sheikah were not famed conversationalists, it took some practice to discern any meaning from their facial twitches and subtle intonations.

Zelda sat on her bed in her spacious chambers, she'd scarcely been seen in the rest of her tower let alone in the rest of the palace. She now gazed out the window looking glum. Even the King of the realm waited patiently in her door for an audience.

She turned her head with a look of mild surprise that did little to cover the underlying depression that surrounded her, "Oh, daddy, I must've been miles away; I didn't even hear you come in."

He took her acknowledgement as an invitation and stepped up to her bedside, "I came to see how you were doing, you've been through a lot in the past few days, child."

She looked away out the window, "I-I don't really want to talk about it."

The king's eyes were filled with infinite tenderness for his beloved daughter, "Well, should you ever want to talk about it I'm always listening."

"Thank you, daddy." The king turned and left taking one last affectionate look at his daughter.

As soon as the door shut Zelda bolted from her bed and dashed out onto her balcony, looking over the edge where Link was still hanging from the edge after having climbed the ten stories to her terrace. "You said you'd only be a second." he puffed irritatedly as he hauled himself over the intricate stone railing. "Anyway, you're too good at lying."

"Thank you." she blushed.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Well, you're one too talk." she fumed, "You're liable to get shot; sneaking onto palace grounds. And in broad daylight too, whatever were you thinking? Especially after… security is really tight."

"I dunno, I kind of felt like talking to you. I guess because of what happened in the desert or whatever, I thought you might give better advice than Jaq."

"That silly auto parts clerk? I'm not surprised you thought that."

"Yeah, well…"

"How's your uncle?"

Link frowned and looked away, "Not good."

"I'm sorry, I feel like this is all my fault." Zelda said rising from where they sat on the edge of her bed to look out the window.

"It's not." He said, and something about his singular assuredness made her feel better about it.

"It seems so strange that Tartus won't be fussing around anymore, I got so used to him being around, I know it sounds strange but I'm going to miss him."

"Yeah, that's kinda strange considering he tried to kill you."

"I know what he did!" she said angrily, "It's just, I was with him for so long. He was there when I was born, if he was a traitor I honestly don't know who to trust anymore."

Link remained silent, he hadn't any experience with such matters. They both sat quietly thinking about their respective situations. "So, how's your arm?" Zelda asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It's fine, more or less. The doctor said not to use it for a couple more days."

"Then you should really think of a better way of sneaking into my tower."

"There isn't one, your security is very thorough."

They continued talking until it was late and the sun sat low in the sky reflecting fire off the glass skyscrapers of the beautiful city. Then Link quietly climbed back down the side of the tower and took the train back to his lonely house at the edge of Rauru. Guards stood posted around the door, compliments of the King himself to watch over the house until they could make full repairs. Most of the front of their cozy home had been blown to pieces and, even though they had cleaned the debris out it still left a gaping hole where the door used to be. Even with the guards Link now slept with his Uncle's gun under his pillow and the slightest noise would stir him.

When he did sleep his dreams were troubled, he floated above the kingdom so high he couldn't even distinguish his house from the trees, everything looked green and bright. Then, from the east there came a thick black smog. It skated over the land and came to rest over the City, from there it spread it's dark tendrils outward until the entirety of Hyrule and all lands beyond, from horizon to horizon, was smitten with darkness and then he awoke. No matter how many times he told himself it was just a dream he couldn't shake the feeling of encroaching danger even as he sat in the hospital with his uncle.

Link knew Jerralt was dying, he tried not to think about it and the doctors never slackened their efforts but he could feel it deep inside. Jerralt's eyes opened slowly, as if they were weighed down by some unknown force. Link leaned in close, for a second daring to hope for the impossible.

"Link…" His voice was the thinnest whisper.

"I'm here uncle, please don't talk."

"No. . . you need to hear this." the old man grabbed his hand surprisingly firmly for a man in his condition.

"I'm sorry. . . I kept it from you for so long. The truth of our Family." A fit of coughing temporarily overcame him and blood flecked his lips.

He took a few moments to regain his composure, then he drew a deep breath and began, " Long before the Wars. . . before, even, the great flood. . . There was. . . a line of Knights in Hyrule. . . It was the sole duty. . . of these knights to keep a sacred power from the hands of darkness. . . These Knights. . . unsure but pure of heart. . . time and again. . . prevented the Sacred Power. . . from falling. . . into the hands of the Evil King. . . You and I. . . we are their descendants . . . by blood bound to serve the. . . Royal Family of Hyrule. . . the holders of the Triforce of Wisdom. . . It was not. . . merely by chance that you. . . were compelled to save our princess. . . It was fate. . . and the power of the Triforce that draws you together. . . Its power is in our blood. . . That mark on your hand, Link. . . when I first saw it. . . I knew I had to protect you. . . to defend you from every enemy. . . until you were ready to take up this duty that your father. . . and now I. . . have happily died upholding. . . follow the call of destiny Link. . . Uphold the sacred duty of our family. . . It falls to you now. . . You. . .must. . . promise. . . me. . ."

Link clasped his uncle's hand reassuringly, "I promise, uncle."

A smile lighted the man's face, "You're. . . a good man. . .Link. . . I have no doubt. . . that you. . . will do great things. . . I am at peace now. . .thank you. . ." Jerralt's eyes closed gently. Link leaned over and unplugged the machines, there was no longer a need for them.

His uncle's body came home that night, Link held vigil for him until dawn when he moved him to the back yard covered him in fresh orchids, as was their custom, and burned his remains. All of his friends came to pay their respect. And they drank and feasted until night gave way to dawn.

In the middle of their celebration, unnoticed, a cloaked man entered. He was in common clothing but it wasn't hard to recognize the face of the king under the hood. He knelt in the dirt like a commoner before the smoldering ashes of his old friend. "Rest well, noble knight of Hyrule, your duties are done here and your lineage is well kept." And he disappeared into the darkness.


End file.
